Clamshell food container

ABSTRACT

A one-piece thermoformed food package comprises a base with a peripheral male rim and, connected to the base by a hinge, a lid having a peripheral female rim channel. The corners of the male rim of the base includes a first set of tabs extending inwardly from the rim towards the interior of the base, and a second set of tabs extending outwardly from the opposite side of the rim towards the exterior of the base. The tabs are configured to engage corresponding hidden recesses formed in the side walls of female rim channel of the lid. A plurality of ridges in the sidewalls increases structural stability, and assists in mating the base with the lid.

The present application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 29/548,164, filed on Dec. 10, 2015; a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 29/548,170, filed on Dec. 10, 2015; a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 29/548,172, filed on Dec. 10, 2015; the disclosures of which are hereby all incorporated by reference in their entireties.

FIELD OF INVENTION

The invention relates to molded plastic containers suitable for packaging food products.

BACKGROUND

Food containers provided as an easily erected package are used by food service establishments as sturdy, attractive packages for take-out consumers. Such containers or packages are useful for the packaging and service of a wide variety of restaurant foods. Partially erected packages are stored in a food service establishment in a nested manner ready to accept the particular food product being sold and are then closed by the server before being given to the customer. Clamshell containers normally include a lid or cover and an integral container base that are hinged together. Some containers have large flanges formed in the shoulder portion of the container base to engage the lid so as to lock or seal the container closed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present application is directed toward a clamshell food container having a base and a lid. The base may have a peripheral male rim having at least two corners, a lid connected to the base by a hinge, the lid having a peripheral female rim channel, wherein each of the corners of the male rim distal to the hinge include a first set of tabs extending inwardly from the rim towards the interior of the base, and a second set of tabs extending outwardly from the opposite side of the rim towards the exterior of the base, and a first side of the female rim channel of the lid includes a first set of recesses configured to engage the first set of tabs, and a second side of the female rim channel of the lid includes a first set of recesses configured to engage the second set of tabs.

Other aspects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments and the accompanying drawing figures.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the interior of a first embodiment of the CLAMSHELL FOOD CONTAINER in an open condition;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the exterior of a first embodiment of the CLAMSHELL FOOD CONTAINER in an open condition;

FIG. 3 is a left side view of a first embodiment of the CLAMSHELL FOOD CONTAINER in an open condition;

FIG. 4 is a right side view of a first embodiment of the CLAMSHELL FOOD CONTAINER in an open condition;

FIG. 5 is a bottom view of a first embodiment of the CLAMSHELL FOOD CONTAINER in an open condition;

FIG. 6 is a top view of a first embodiment of the CLAMSHELL FOOD CONTAINER in an open condition;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the interior of a second embodiment of the CLAMSHELL FOOD CONTAINER in an open condition;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the exterior of a second embodiment of the CLAMSHELL FOOD CONTAINER in an open condition;

FIG. 9 is a left side view of a second embodiment of the CLAMSHELL FOOD CONTAINER in an open condition;

FIG. 10 is a right side view of a second embodiment of the CLAMSHELL FOOD CONTAINER in an open condition;

FIG. 11 is a bottom view of a second embodiment of the CLAMSHELL FOOD CONTAINER in an open condition;

FIG. 12 is a top view of a second embodiment of the CLAMSHELL FOOD CONTAINER in an open condition;

FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the interior of a third embodiment of the CLAMSHELL FOOD CONTAINER in an open condition;

FIG. 14 is a perspective view of the exterior of a third embodiment of the CLAMSHELL FOOD CONTAINER in an open condition;

FIG. 15 is a left side view of a third embodiment of the CLAMSHELL FOOD CONTAINER in an open condition;

FIG. 16 is a right side view of a third embodiment of the CLAMSHELL FOOD CONTAINER in an open condition;

FIG. 17 is a bottom view of a third embodiment of the CLAMSHELL FOOD CONTAINER in an open condition;

FIG. 18 is a top view of a third embodiment of the CLAMSHELL FOOD CONTAINER in an open condition.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring now to the drawings, FIGS. 1 through 6 show a semi-rigid container 10 having a basket-shaped base 12 and a lid 14 of comparable height. The base 12 and lid 14 are connected by a hinge 16. The base 12 and lid 14 preferably have a uniform thickness. The container 10 preferably is thermoformed from a plastic material such as polypropylene. The containers are nestable and stackable when in the open condition depicted in, for example, the perspective view of FIG. 1. The sidewalls of the base 12 and the lid 14 of the container 10 may be provided with scalloped flutes 12A and 14A to strengthen the sidewalls. The scalloped ridges or flutes 12A and 14A align with each other when stacking nested containers. The scalloped sidewalls preferably extend orthogonally from the respective flat shoulder portions 12B and 14B of the base 12 and lid 14 of the container 10.

The latching structure for securing the lid 14 to the base 12 preferably is not part of the flat shoulder portion 12B extending away from the basket of the base 12. The shoulder portion 12B preferably includes at least one small protrusion 28 to help promote separation of the respective flat shoulder portions 12B and 14B of the base 12 and lid 14 when the container 10 is closed.

For the base 12, a peripheral male rim 20 forms the top of the basket of the base 12 and the flat shoulder portion 12B extends laterally away from the bottom of the peripheral male rim 20. At the corners distal from the hinge 16, a first set of tabs 22 extend inwardly from the rim towards the interior basket of the base 12, and a second set of tabs 24 extend outwardly from the opposite side of the rim towards the exterior of the base. The tabs 22 and 24 preferably are thin and elongated shapes. At the corners proximate to the hinge 16, a third set of tabs 26 preferably extend outwardly from the rim towards the exterior of the base. In an alternative embodiment, a fourth set of tabs may extend inwardly from the rim towards the interior of the base.

For the lid 14, a peripheral female rim channel 40 is formed and the flat shoulder portion 14B extends laterally away from the top of the peripheral female rim channel 40. The two corners of the female rim channel 40 distal to the hinge 16 includes a first set of recesses 42 on the outside wall of the channel configured to engage the first set of tabs 22 of the peripheral male rim 20 of the base 12, and the inside wall of the female rim channel 40 of the lid 14 at those corners includes a second set of recesses 44 configured to engage the second set of tabs 24. Similarly, at the corners proximate to the hinge 16, a third set of recesses 46 preferably are formed on the outside wall of the peripheral female rim channel 40 to engage corresponding tabs 26 on the peripheral male rim 20. In an alternative embodiment, a fourth set of recesses may be formed on the inside wall of the peripheral female rim channel to engage corresponding tabs on the peripheral male rim.

All four corners of the container 10 may be latched and secured with the tabs and recesses on the peripheral male rim 20 and peripheral female rim channel 40, respectively. This configuration also minimizes the need for a large shoulder portion needed for prior art latching approaches.

FIGS. 7 through 12 show another embodiment with a more rectangular shape. The container 110 has a base 112 and lid 114 connected by a hinge 116. The base 112 and lid 114 preferably are similar in construction to the previously discussed embodiment. The sidewalls of the base 112 and the lid 114 of the container 110 may be provided with scalloped flutes 112A and 114A, and the scalloped sidewalls preferably extend orthogonally from the respective flat shoulder portions 112B and 114B of the base 112 and lid 114 of the container 110.

For the base 112, a peripheral male rim 120 forms the top of the basket of the base 112 and the flat shoulder portion 112B extends laterally away from the bottom of the peripheral male rim 20. At the corners distal from the hinge 116, a first set of tabs 122 extend inwardly from the rim towards the interior basket of the base 112, and a second set of tabs 124 extend outwardly from the opposite side of the rim towards the exterior of the base. At the corners proximate to the hinge 116, a third set of tabs 126 preferably extend outwardly from the rim towards the exterior of the base. In another alternative embodiment, a fourth set of tabs may extend inwardly from the rim towards the interior of the base.

For the lid 114, a peripheral female rim channel 140 is formed and the flat shoulder portion 114B extends laterally away from the top of the peripheral female rim channel 140. The two corners of the female rim channel 140 distal to the hinge 116 includes a first set of recesses 142 on the outside wall of the channel configured to engage the first set of tabs 122, and the inside wall of the female rim channel 140 at those corners includes a second set of recesses 144 configured to engage the second set of tabs 124. Similarly, at the corners proximate to the hinge 116, a third set of recesses 146 preferably are formed on the outside wall of the peripheral female rim channel 140 to engage corresponding tabs 126 on the peripheral male rim 120.

FIGS. 13 through 18 show another embodiment with compartments formed in the base 212 of the container 210. The base 212 and lid 214 are connected by a hinge 216. The base 212 and lid 214 preferably are similar in construction to the previously discussed embodiments. The sidewalls of the base 212 and the lid 214 may be provided with scalloped flutes 212A and 214A, and the scalloped sidewalls preferably extend orthogonally from the respective flat shoulder portions 212B and 214B of the base 212 and lid 214.

For the base 212, a peripheral male rim 220 forms the top of the base 212 and the flat shoulder portion 212B extends laterally away from the bottom of the peripheral male rim 220. At the corners distal from the hinge 216, a set of tabs 222 extend inwardly from the rim towards the interior basket of the base 212, and another set of tabs 224 extend outwardly from the opposite side of the rim towards the exterior of the base 212. At the corners proximate to the hinge 216, another set of tabs 226 preferably extend outwardly from the rim towards the exterior of the base. In another alternative embodiment, yet another set of tabs may extend inwardly from the rim towards the interior of the base.

For the lid 214, a peripheral female rim channel 240 is formed and the flat shoulder portion 214B extends laterally away from the top of the peripheral female rim channel 240. The two corners of the female rim channel 240 distal to the hinge 216 includes a first set of recesses 242 on the outside wall of the channel configured to engage the first set of tabs 222, and the inside wall of the female rim channel 140 at those corners includes a second set of recesses 244 configured to engage the second set of tabs 224. Similarly, at the corners proximate to the hinge 216, a third set of recesses 246 preferably are formed on the outside wall of the peripheral female rim channel 240 to engage corresponding tabs 226 on the peripheral male rim 220.

While the invention has been described by particular examples, those examples are illustrative and the claims may cover other examples of the claimed invention. For example, it also should be appreciated that the container may take shapes other than quadrilateral shapes. 

I claim:
 1. A clamshell food container having a base with a peripheral male rim having at least two corners, a lid connected to the base by a hinge, the lid having a peripheral female rim channel, wherein each of the corners of the male rim distal to the hinge include a first set of tabs extending inwardly from the rim towards the interior of the base, and a second set of tabs extending outwardly from the opposite side of the rim towards the exterior of the base, and a first side of the female rim channel of the lid includes a first set of recesses configured to engage the first set of tabs, and a second side of the female rim channel of the lid includes a first set of recesses configured to engage the second set of tabs.
 2. The clamshell food container of claim 1, wherein the lid includes scalloped lid sidewalls having a plurality of lid ridges, the base has scalloped base sidewalls having a plurality of base ridges, and one end of the scalloped lid sidewalls and one end of the scalloped base sidewalls are each configured to complementarily mate with one another.
 3. A quadrilateral clamshell food container having a base with a peripheral male rim, a lid connected to the base by a hinge, the lid having a peripheral female rim channel, wherein the four corners of the male rim of the base includes a first set of tabs extending inwardly from the rim towards the interior of the base, and a second set of tabs extending outwardly from the opposite side of the rim towards the exterior of the base, such that the tabs engage corresponding recesses formed in the side of female rim channel of the lid. 